Dianne Smith didn’t let surgeries on both feet keep her from participating in the Walk Wisconsin marathon in 2005. On Saturday, she will participate in her 10th walk, despite arthritis in both knees.

She’s among almost 100 other walkers who participated every year and will return to the 10th annual Walk Wisconsin on Saturday. Smith and the other 10-year walkers will join more than 1,000 other participants at Pfiffner Pioneer Park at 7:45 a.m. for the start of the marathon.

Smith had major surgeries performed on both her feet in April 2005, she said, but was able to walk the full 26.4-mile route in June that year. The Active Portage County Board honored her afterward with the Community Spirit award.

This year, Smith said, she will walk the 6.5-mile quarter marathon, because she knows her limits.

“I’m smart about the way I walk,” she said. “It’s not a race or competition; it’s about goal-setting and personal pride. I know this year the level I’ve chosen is better for me.”

Walk Wisconsin organizers will recognize 10-year walkers Saturday, said Melissa Sabel, marketing director for the Stevens Point Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Sabel said the walk began when Brant Bergeron and John Jury put their heads together and combined the idea of a healthy lifestyle with Stevens Point’s Green Circle Trail.

Bergeron and Jury said community interest and participation has grown since they started the walk in 2005. Bergeron, who works in medical education at Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital, said he began work in marketing there in 2003, and in 2004, the hospital’s 10,000 Steps project planted the seed for Walk Wisconsin.

“The idea was we would hand out pedometers to people who were interested, and they would shoot for 10,000 steps a day. Within the first few months, I bet we handed out over 10,000 pedometers,” Bergeron said.

Bergeron and Jury mapped out various stops along the Green Circle Trail and calculated the lengths for a full, three-quarter, half and quarter marathon to accommodate walkers of all abilities. “And the rest, as they say, is history,” Bergeron said.

Bergeron and Jury have walked the marathon every year since they started the event.

“On the day of (Walk Wisconsin), I’ll be participating in my own 10th marathon. My thought is if I talk the talk, I literally have to walk the walk,” Bergeron said.

Jury will handle logistics and organization the day of the walk, and he usually walks the marathon a week before the event to make sure everything will run smoothly. Jury said he notices the impact Walk Wisconsin has on participants and the community.

“We do believe more people are walking, but it’s not just about getting ready for Walk Wisconsin,” Jury said. “There are more people walking all the time. I used to see a lot of people jogging along the Green Circle Trail, but more people are walking.”

Judi Olson, another 10-year walker, said Walk Wisconsin helps to make Stevens Point unique.

“I’m very proud of the people who continue to organize the walk and bring it together every June,” Olson said. “It’s a well-organized event and I take advantage of it. Walk Wisconsin really is a wonderful thing our city is known for.”

Walk Wisconsin is a noncompetitive event and is intended to be an enjoyable experience for the community, Jury said. But if participants do not train and condition, he said, the walk could turn from pleasurable to painful.

“In a lot of ways, walking a marathon is harder to do than running because you’re out there for so much longer,” Jury said. “If you don’t train for it, you won’t have fun.”

Jury and Bergeron said they are looking forward to the event this weekend and are excited to celebrate the healthy lifestyle for which Portage County is known.

“We thank the community for their support and the sponsors that keep the cost low,” Bergeron said.

Walkers participating in shorter marathons will ride buses to their respective starting points along the trail. Smith said some years, she was unsure about finishing the marathon, but she was reassured when she learned that volunteers are willing to lend a hand.

“I talked to the staff, and every stop has someone willing to drive you back,” Smith said. “The staff are incredible. They’re so friendly and accommodating.”

Registration for the walk ended Monday, but there might be last-minute registration availabilities.

Andy Davis can be reached at 715-345-2253. Find him on Twitter as @SPJAndyDavis.